5 Mini-conifers That Grow Well Here

October 21, 1988|By William Aldrich.

Dwarf conifers are becoming more available at retail nurseries. Galen Gates, senior horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden, singles out five types that grow well in the Chicago area (if not specified, foliage color is green):

- Blue Star juniper: steel-blue foliage; about 30 inches around; mounding habit; drought-tolerant; is good used as a facer to a larger plant.

- Pinus sylvestris `Watereri` or `Nana,` both cultivars known as dwarf Scotch pine: steel-blue needles; mature height 10 feet; pyramidal shape; good for evergreen screen if planted offset, not in a line, since bottom gets fairly wide; good as accent or as specimen.